Dinner is the name of the main meal of the day. Depending upon region and/or social class, it may be the second or third meal of the day. Originally, it referred to the first meal of the day, eaten about noon, and is still occasionally used in this fashion if it refers to a large or main meal. Etymology Originally, "dinner" referred to the first meal of a two-meal day, a heavy meal occuring about noon, which broke the night's fast in the new day. The word is from the Old French (ca 1300) disn… (More on Dinner)